toward the people such as stating that Obama is a person who has a determination and is a hard worker.
c. Emphasizing an idea
Emphasizing is described to be an action “to give special importance to something” Hornby, 2005: 499. The use of an emphasis toward certain words in
this video campaign is meant to give the persuasive message toward the people.
3. Theory on Persuasion Strategies
In this part of the research, the researcher tries to explain the persuasion strategies theories that are used to analyze the data on Obama‟s presidential video
campaign “Forward”. The researcher found that there are three types of theories that can be used to analyze the data. The theories on persuasion strategies are
supported by theories on creative strategy and execution in broadcast media and theory on speech communication.
The theories on persuasion strategies are elicited by Herbert W. Simons and Charles U. Larson, the theory on creative strategy and execution on broadcast
media are elicited by Christopher Gilson and Harold W. Berkman, and the speech communication theory is elicited by Raymond S. Ross. All of the four theories are
useful to analyze relationship of the textual features and the persuasion strategies employed in the video campaign thoroughly.
a. Herbert W. Simons Persuasive Campaign Theory
Simons, in his book, stated that political campaign in electronic media is very significan
t for a candidate‟s image building because of its power on the
audience reach. This condition makes it possible for a candidate to expose a political image of the candidate.
Furthermore, Simons suggests that campaign in electronic media, namely television, is in form of entertainment and drama. He says that a politician must be
portrayed as a heroic figure. Rather than competing with Love Story, as McGovern did in 1972, the
politician must romance their voter-courting the uninvolved voters especially with dramatic acts off camera and visualverbal message on
camera that portray him as being like a favorite character in a television series or a celebrated movie star 1976: 247.
b. Christopher Gilson and Harold W. Berkman’s Creative Strategy and
Execution on Broadcast Media Theory
Gilson and Berkman, in explaining about the creative strategy and execution, says that one of advertisement creative strategy and execution is by
“Making the Claim”. The claim, referring to Gilson and Berkman, is a basic selling concept.
It is also a description of the product‟s “reason for being” – what distinguishes it from other brands in its class, and what it does for the
consumer that the competitor will not or cannot do Gilson and Berkman, 1980: 432.
The most easily accepted claim for products is a claim that contains some actual and demonstrable difference. The differentiation of the products make the
advertised product has particular selling value than other brands of the same kind. The difference, however, is better on a demonstrable aspect such as cheaper price,
cleaner results, and many more. It is meant to make the people believe the advertisement so that they will purchase the product.
c. Charles U. Larson Persuasive Strategy Theory
